Locking device for milk bottles



Jan. 29, 1935. w. J. MACDOUGALD 1,989,239

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MILK BOTTLES Fil ed Nov. 11, 1932 Z-Sheets-Sheet 1 MCI/14101011 61261 Jan. 29, 1935. W MAC OUGALD' 1,989,239

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MILK BOTTLES Filed Nov. ll, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 l7 z5 /7 Z6 WJMaoJauyaZd Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFF] CE LOCKING DEVICE FOR MILK BOTTLES William J. Macdougald, Providence, R. I. s Application November 11, 1932, Serial No. 642,308

7 1 Claim. (01. 232-41) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in locking devices for milk bottles.

The primary object of my invention is to provide .a-relatively simple and economical device of this character whose eificient operation in effecting the release of the full milk bottle depends on the return of the empty milk bottle by the consumer or vice versa.

A further object of my invention is to provide a locking device for milk bottles that is very compact and may accommodate two full or two empty bottles in a relatively small space.

The device may be arranged in a cool shady place on a building or other support, thereby keeping down the growth of harmful bacteria to the minimum, and placed high enough above the ground to be out of reach of dogs, cats, etc., to prevent contamination of the milk or cream from this source.

With the foregoing and other objects in view that will appear as the nature of my invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are therefore not drawn to scale:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section, taken on line 11 of Figure 2, of a locking device for milk bottles embodying my improvements, the lower bottle engaging clamps open.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section, taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is also a vertical transverse section, taken on line 33 of Figure 2 and Figure 4 is a plan view.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of my invention and in which drawings like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the several views, my device comprises a rectangular oblong supporting frame A, consisting of the top, bottom and end walls 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The supporting frame is divided into two compartments 4 and 5 by the central vertical partition 6, and a locking and releasing mechanism, one for each bottle, is arranged in each compartment. Since both mechanisms are identical, a description of one will sufiice.

Each bottle locking and releasing mechanism comprises a pair of upper and lower bottle engaging clamps '7 and 8, which are pivoted adjacent their inner ends, as at 9 and 10, to the top nd bottom wallsl and 2, respectively, of the supporting frame A. The clamps 7 and 8 are provided with the inwardly extending arms 11 and 2 andn urt r p ided. at he r e t i ner ends, with the inwardly and right-angularly bent ears 13 and 14, the purpose of which will presently appear. The bottle engaging clamps '7 and 8 are normally locked in open position, by the approximately U-shaped keeper members 15 and 16. The keeper members 15 and 16 are pivoted at their inner ends, as at 17 and 18, to the top and bottom walls 1 and 2, respectively, of the supporting frame A and are formed adjacent their inner ends with the catches 19 and 20, adapted to engage the outer edges of the ears 13 and 14 of the clamps '7 and. 8. As shown the outer or free ends of the keeper members extend somewhat below and above the upper and lower clamps.

A rectangular frame 21, is mounted to oscillate in the supporting frame A, between the upper and lower pairs of bottle engaging clamps '7 and 8, and its inner side bar 22, is formed with the upper and lower inwardly curved locking tonguesv 23 and 24, respectively.

In practice, assuming that the driver has delivered a full bottle of milk or cream, the neck, as 25, of the empty bottle, is inserted in an inverted position throughthe opening 26 in the top wall 1 of the supporting frame A until it comes to rest on the cross bar 2'7. Pressure is then exerted on the outer or free ends of the keeper members 15 by the rim 23 of the bottle, which spreads them farther apart or into the dotted line position indicated in Figure 1. This disengages the catches 19 of the keeper members 15 from the ears 13 of the upper clamps 7, when further pressure by the neck of the empty bottle against the inner ends of the aforesaid clamps, will cause said ends to spread farther apart against the tension of the coil spring 29, and permit the locking tongue 23 of the oscillating frame 21, to pass between said ears, thereby locking the bottle engaging clamps around the neck of the empty bottle. At the same time, the locking tongue 24 of the oscillating fame 21 is withdrawn from between the ears 14 of the lower clamps 8 and the latter opened by the coil spring 30 and locked in this position by the catches 20 of the keeper members 16. This permits the release of the full bottle. To deposit a full bottle and remove the empty bottle, the above operation is reversed. The oscillating frame 21 is normally held in an upwardly inclined position by the coil spring 31.

It will thus be seen that the upper and lower clamps are opened at the proper stage in the operation of the device, by the coil springs 29 and 30, respectively, and are normally locked in open position by the catches 19 and 20 of the keeper members 15 and 16. The keeper members 15 and 16 are normally held in clamp engaging position by the coil springs 32 and 33, respectively, connected with the inner or free ends thereof, and when pressure is applied on the inner ends of the keeper'members 15, for instance, by the rim 28 of the bottle neck, said ends are spread farther apart against the action of the coil spring 32.

When the bottle engaging clamps 7 andB are released at the proper stage in the operation of the device and opened by the coilsprings 29'and-30,1-

the catches 19 and 20, will spring or snap back into place.

From the foregoing description taken in conminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principles or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A locking device for milk bottles, comprising a supporting frame, upper and lower bottle engaging clamps pivotally mounted therein, means for locking said clamps in bottle engaging position and means for simultaneously releasing and looking the lower clamps in open position and for closing and locking the upper clamps in bottle engaging position when an empty bottle is deposited and engaged with the upper clamps, said means comprising keeper members formed with catches to engage the, inner or pivoted ends of the upper and lower clamps and an oscillating frame with upper and lower locking tongues adapted to pass between the inner ends of the upper and lower clamps, respectively, after said ends are spread farther apart by the pressure exerted thereon by the milk bottle.

WILLIAM J. MACDOUGALD. 

